Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-02-24
MR.. Edward AIN insom,s View of the
Ec0ssomakc Situation

Mr. Edward AtkansOm's FaeW Oh the
Economic Situation.
II the members of the Nineteenth
Century Club and their friends do act
awake this morning after a night in
which statistics have played an i'm
portant part in their dreams then, says
Wednesday weeks New York Times, the in
terest which they displayed last evening
while Edward Atkinson reeled of num-
bers to them for an hour and half
didn't mean what 1t seemed to mean.
| theatre party could have been hardly bet
| ter pleased, and when Mr.. Atkinson made
| his parting bow he was rewarded in
way that certainly would have compelled
an encore under other circumstances. He
| came here on an invitation to talk before
the club on Progress from Poverty"
When the lecture began the attendance
more than filled the large hall at the
American Art Galleries and overlooked
into the corridors.
The speaker did not partake of the
common belief that $4,000 votes for
Henry George indicated dangerous symp-
toms, but rather wholesome agitation.
Iaboring men had no wish to destroy the
country, for had they been SO minded
they could have done it long ago. Mr..
Atkinson drew from under his desk q
stone axe, cut by ''prehistoric man" and
modern fifty-cent hatchet. They gave
him his text.
The maker Of the axe was greater cap
italist than the Ratchet maker. The latter
saved labor. If capitalist saved what
!, would otherwise be wasted, of what harm
was the capitalist. OF old he kept every
thing to himself; now he had to allow
others to share the benefits Of his work.
More than 80 per cent of the people
enjoyed substantial equality now. The
rich had more clothing, butthe poor were
, out more. In fuel they were equal con
sumers. The greatest disparity between
the two was in shelter and in the contro
| of their time. Subsistence was now &C
!. abundant that there was complaint o.
! over-produetion. There was more capita
. than could be used.
A great cry went up eternally abou
the railroads. For his part he woult
! rather have the Vanderbilts carry hi
J trunk than to carry it himself. The.
could do il cheaper. ALI modern agita
d ton led him to conclude that social an
:. political conditions were to be improves
by evolution, not by revolution. Their
a was not an art in which the profit WINS nc
Is less than the waste of % years ago. Th
b margin of profit had become very small
It If men became rich by saving the vast
% and applying it to the benefit of laboi
who suffered?
"a Experience showed that the grei
ID remedy for Socialism was the develol
i. .!aas x IL .1... .,.....! s.Ea liz aducRtic
ID of the young. Labor was fast learnir
c. that diminished profits and prices wei
lie hand in hand with higher wages al
I'd lower cost. The earning power of capt.
had decreased since 1860 from to p
ha cent, while labor's condition had il
I'D proved. The very poor were not mo
a numerous than formerly. In the orgel
~ cation of labor was found an attempt
an equalize the disparities of modern com
~ tions. High wages were the corelatiye
an low cost. Pauper labor was to be fear
only by those of pauper intelligent
Mr.. Atkinson said he had investigated
3, arts. They all showed progress develC
re- ing from poverty; high wages with
70 minished profits, and on all sides an I
u, proach to more equal conditions of
nu employer and laborer.
IKE When Mr.. Atkinson rolled up
no charts and settled himself comforta
RS among the audience his paper was {
cussed by Professor Edmund L. james
ars the University of Pennsylvania and
v, others.